So very sad about Donlan and Speroff. I had heard that he retired and was hoping he would reconsider. It seemed as if he was planning on staying in so I wonder how much the disappointment of Nationals played into his decision. From what I know Donlan is continuing. Speroff has been skating with girlfriend Kylie Duarte and they are planning on doing shows together. There is a video of Duarte and Speroff out on You tube showing some lifts, jumps etc. They look pretty good together, maybe there is hope that they will decide to compete.

Speroff has been skating with girlfriend Kylie Duarte and they are planning on doing shows together. There is a video of Duarte and Speroff out on You tube showing some lifts, jumps etc. They look pretty good together, maybe there is hope that they will decide to compete.

So very sad about Donlan and Speroff. I had heard that he retired and was hoping he would reconsider. It seemed as if he was planning on staying in so I wonder how much the disappointment of Nationals played into his decision. From what I know Donlan is continuing. Speroff has been skating with girlfriend Kylie Duarte and they are planning on doing shows together. There is a video of Duarte and Speroff out on You tube showing some lifts, jumps etc. They look pretty good together, maybe there is hope that they will decide to compete.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info., hippychick, I know you are a big fan of this pair as well, so I know how you feel.

I'm so glad I got to see them skate live at Skate America in Kent, Washington, back in 2012:

That said, I do recall them both talking about skating in shows, in particular Andrew mentioned early on that he would like to do well enough in pairs so that they could get a job skating in shows. And I wish him much luck with Kylie Duarte, they look FAB together. I know skating is a very expensive sport and he had to have two jobs to support his skating IIRC.

Rumor has it that Matt Blackmer went to Boston for a tryout with Donlan but I haven't heard anything about the result.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info., yfbg722. I still can't get over the fact that Matthew Blackmer is no longer partnered with Britney Simpson, tears, as I thought they were MAGNIFICENT together! Their iconic "Titanic" program remains amongst my all-time favorite programs. But I know they never managed to get a 3twist, most likely b/c he's 5'10" tall and Britney's 5'3". And also she could still be growing, she's only 17 yrs. old. Furthermore, one of them was injured back in the Fall IIIRC. Still, they kicked booty during their short time on the Jr. circuit, gold & silvers, and being the 2013 Jr. National Champions. Here's hoping they both come roaring back with new partners! She's too much of a superstar to not come back (her charisma & elegance & somatyype is reminiscent of Caitlin Yankowskas imho), and Matt is brilliant as well.

That said, I would love to see what a pairing of Matt & Gretchen would look like? She's a tiny petite 4'11" tall and had no problems with her former partner doing a HUGE 3twist. And like Britney, Gretchen excels in artistry. Unfortunately, they both had problems with the jumps. However, as I mentioned earlier Gretchen started out this past season nailing her solo triples, no UR issues (this after seeing a jump specialist), however her jump problems came back at 2014 Nationals.

Yes, we know this, do you ever have anything positive to say when it comes to Gretchen? Btw, Andrew is no consistent jumper either. Unfortunately whenever Gretchen nailed her jumps, he missed his, and vice versa. They rarely ever both nailed their jumps at the same time, unfortunately.

Unfortunately Gretchen has the double whammy of both inconsistency and UR her jumps, although she made significant progress in cleaning up her jumps this past season. Speroff does not have issues UR and is probably as consistent a jumper as most of the other male pair skaters. In fact on the You tube video he lands a very nice DA and two triples, wasn't aware that he also had a 3salchow in addition to the 3toe.

Gretchen is such a wonderful skater, truly hope she finds someone to match her balletic skills. Will be very sad if Speroff has indeed retired as he is still young enough and has remained fairly injury free. He was one of the few US male pair skaters who skated like a Russion pair skater, and if you ask me that is where the US is lacking in its pairs program.

I like both of them, so you're not going to see me praise one more than the other. Also, I don't like it when one, in this case Gretchen, gets the bad rap. It takes two.

That said, I'm going to miss them as a pair b/c I thought they were matched perfectly in almost every way possible. Both of them skated like Russians imho, which is what made me a fan in the first place. Not to mention they were both aesthetcially gorgeous to look at, especially in person! But alas they join a long list of pair skaters that just couldn't make it work, more's the pity. But this pair in particular remind me of when Stephanie Kalesavich & Aaron Parchem split up, likewise the Stieglers. They had that star quality the same that Donlan & Speroff had. *sigh*

Enough! I wish them both much luck, and look forward to more US pair skating in the Fall.

...Yes, we know this, do you ever have anything positive to say when it comes to Gretchen? Btw, Andrew is no consistent jumper either. Unfortunately whenever Gretchen nailed her jumps, he missed his, and vice versa. They rarely ever both nailed their jumps at the same time, unfortunately.

Click to expand...

Sure I do: I like her positions in the lifts, her movement across the ice / musicality, her spins, and I would say she does reasonably well in landing the throw jumps. However, she has trouble landing a double axel and that to me suggests she has a serious mental block when it comes to jumping. This is nothing personal. It's just an observation.

ITA. I'm rooting for them and S/K. I hope the latter shake off the miscues from this past season and find a really defining style

Click to expand...

I agree. S/K still have the most potential to do well internationally. The injury Chris had last season really set them back and i think he came back to soon. K/S also have potential. I think Z/B just don't have the big skating and elements to challenge on the international stage and i i wish Marissa Castelli would find another partner to skate with. She's a spitfire and needs someone better then Simon to skate with C/S have never looked like they really belong together. Maybe someone like Timothy LeDuc would be good for Marissa.

I like Kayne and O'Shea but I don't think they have the same refinement as Donlan and Speroff had. I also hope that they work hard on improving their 3twist which I think is their weakest element. I think Scimieca and Knierim will be the team to beat.

I don't know, I find it hard to imagine Marissa with Speroff. They're such different skaters. Marissa is fiery and intense, Andrew seems more laid back and less competitive. I think Rockne & Marissa might have been a good match in ability and expression, but it was posted upthread that Rockne is retiring.

I can understand why Rockne wants to retire. He's had several partnerships in a row that haven't worked out, and he's entering his late 20's. It's too bad because he was probably the most charismatic male pairs skater the U.S. had.

I can understand why Rockne wants to retire. He's had several partnerships in a row that haven't worked out, and he's entering his late 20's. It's too bad because he was probably the most charismatic male pairs skater the U.S. had.

Click to expand...

I wonder how Rockne would have fared as a singles skater. Does anyone know if he ever competed in singles at US Nats? The only downside would be that he doesn't always jump well.

I wonder how Rockne would have fared as a singles skater. Does anyone know if he ever competed in singles at US Nats?

Click to expand...

I believe he got as far as Sectionals several times at the Novice level but never advanced to Nationals before he switched full-time to pairs in 2004(?).

ETA: Of the current Senior pair guys, John Coughlin and Nate Bartholomay previously qualified for Nationals in Junior and Novice singles, respectively, and Danny O'Shea was the 2008 Novice men's champion (all had triples through Lutz, IIRC).

Rockne retired, really? I missed that. I was wondering if he and Gretchen would work together. I too am very sorry about her split with Speroff. But despite her jump issues, she was the star of that pair IMO so I hope she is not quitting.

Rockne's career has been so frustrating. He deserved better. That is not a comment on any of his partners, just his bad luck. And theirs, for that matter. Pairs is the hardest discipline.

I like Kayne and O'Shea but I don't think they have the same refinement as Donlan and Speroff had. I also hope that they work hard on improving their 3twist which I think is their weakest element. I think Scimieca and Knierim will be the team to beat.

Click to expand...

I think, though, that K/O are 'getting there'. The LP at 4CC's was fantastic and I'm happy they went after their weakest element, the 3twist, and fixed it (or drastically improved it). I think it will just take continued improvement / refinement overall and they could theoretically get to the point where they clinch a spot at Worlds, and even go higher from there; loads of potential

Rockne retired, really? I missed that. I was wondering if he and Gretchen would work together. I too am very sorry about her split with Speroff. But despite her jump issues, she was the star of that pair IMO so I hope she is not quitting.

Rockne's career has been so frustrating. He deserved better. That is not a comment on any of his partners, just his bad luck. And theirs, for that matter. Pairs is the hardest discipline.

Click to expand...

I am kind of shocked by this considering how posters reacted when I said I thought it was sad that he only hooked up with Davis to make the Olympic team. I got told all about how "they are in it for the long haul" and "they knew they wouldn't make the team so there was no pressure on her" Now I wonder.